Endothelial function,regulation of angiogenesis and embryonic central hemodynamics in ART-conceived pregnancies

Abstract

This study was undertaken to compare the concentrations of pro- and anti-angiogenic growth factors, nitric oxide (NO) stable metabolites in maternal serum and embryonic left ventricular (LV) isovolumic relaxation time (IRT, ms) during the first trimester in two groups of women: with pregnancy conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART, n?=?39) and normally conceived (control group, n?=?68) pregnancy. The concentration of vasoconstrictor endothelin 1 was 45.5 times more in ART than in control group. On the contrary, the concentrations of NO stable metabolites in ART were 1.9 times less than in control women. The assessment of angiogenic suppressors in ART women demonstrates the decrease in s-endoglin concentration was 1.6 times and in soluble receptor to vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was 2.0 times in comparison with control group. There was a significant increase in LV IRT in ART embryos in comparison to control ones. These data suggest significant changes in pro- anti-angiogenic factors balance and increase in vascular impedance in ART-conceived embryos.     

Glioma-Induced Disruption of Resting-State Functional Connectivity and Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations in the Salience Network

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Cognitive challenges are prevalent in survivors of glioma, but their neurobiology is incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glioma presence and tumor characteristics on resting-state functional connectivity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations of the salience network, a key neural network associated with cognition.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Sixty-nine patients with glioma (mean age, 48.74 [SD, 14.32] years) who underwent resting-state fMRI were compared with 31 healthy controls (mean age, 49.68 [SD, 15.54] years). We identified 4 salience network ROIs: left/right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and left/right anterior insula. Average salience network resting-state functional connectivity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations within the 4 salience network ROIs were computed.RESULTS:Patients with gliomas showed decreased overall salience network resting-state functional connectivity (P = .001) and increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in all salience network ROIs (P < .01) except in the left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Compared with controls, patients with left-sided gliomas showed increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (P = .002) and right anterior insula (P < .001), and patients with right-sided gliomas showed increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the left anterior insula (P = .002). Anterior tumors were associated with decreased salience network resting-state functional connectivity (P < .001) and increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right anterior insula, left anterior insula, and right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Patients with high-grade gliomas had decreased salience network resting-state functional connectivity compared with healthy controls (P < .05). The right anterior insula showed increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in patients with grade II and IV gliomas compared with controls (P < .01).CONCLUSIONS:By demonstrating decreased resting-state functional connectivity and an increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations related to the salience network in patients with glioma, this study adds to our understanding of the neurobiology underpinning observable cognitive deficits in these patients. In addition to more conventional functional connectivity, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations is a promising functional-imaging biomarker of tumor-induced vascular and neural pathology.

Detrimental effects of cancer on cognitive function and, consequently, on the quality of life are emerging as a key focus of cancer survivorship both in research and clinical practice.^1,2 Brain tumors have been shown to affect memory, processing, and attention in patients; however, their underlying neurobiology is incompletely understood.³ Using resting-state functional MR imaging (rsfMRI) to evaluate changes in cognitive resting-state networks may provide a better understanding of the pathology underlying the observable cognitive disruptions in gliomas, the most common primary brain tumor in adults.A “triple network model” of neurocognitive pathology has been proposed, which encompasses the default mode network, involved in mind wandering; the central executive network, involved in decision-making; and the salience network (SN), implicated in modulating activation of the default mode network and central executive network by detecting the presence of salient stimuli.^4-8 While previous rsfMRI research has largely focused on tumor-induced changes in the default mode network,^9,10 our study examined the less-studied SN, a network rooted in the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.⁶Prior studies evaluating gliomas and SN resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) provided conflicting results in small patient samples: Maesawa et al¹⁰ found no significant differences in the SN in 12 patients, while Liu et al¹¹ more recently found decreased SN connectivity in 13 patients. Gliomas impact the integrity of the neurovascular unit to varying degrees, resulting in neurovascular uncoupling that has been reported to confound fMRI interpretations in patients with brain tumors.^12-14 Additionally, research has reported neuronal plasticity manifested by structural reorganization and functional remodeling of neural networks in patients with gliomas with possible alterations in clinically observable cognitive manifestations.^15-17 An rsfMRI metric, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), has recently shown promise as a biomarker for brain plasticity and hemodynamic characterization, including neurovascular uncoupling in patients with gliomas.^15-19The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glioma presence and tumor characteristics on overall RSFC and regional normalized ALFF within the SN in a large patient population. We hypothesized that there would be decreased average SN RSFC and altered ALFF in patients with gliomas compared with healthy controls. Recent studies have acknowledged that gliomas have variable effects on network integrity based on lesion location and proximity to network ROIs,^20-22 and unilateral gliomas can be associated with plasticity in both the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres.^11,17 Research also supports differences in resting-state network reorganization in aggressive high-grade gliomas compared with slower-growing low-grade gliomas.^20,23 Therefore, we also hypothesized that there would be differences in average SN RSFC and regional ALFF in patients based on the anterior-versus-posterior location, hemispheric side, and grade of glioma.     

The Presence of Portal Vein Thrombosis Alters the Classic Enhancement Associated with Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Digestive Diseases and Sciences - To determine whether the presence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) where venous flow within the liver may be altered may delay the diagnosis of HCC and be...     

Effect of Tropicamide on Laser Flare Meter Measurements in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To investigate the effect of 1% tropicamide on anterior chamber aqueous flare (ACAF) measurements acquired with laser flare meter in patients with pseudoexfoliation.     

Subscapularis Transthoracic Versus Posterolateral Approaches in the Surgical Management of Upper Thoracic Tuberculosis: A Prospective,Randomized Controlled Study

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical, radiological, and functional outcomes of a subscapularis transthoracic surgical approach and a posterolateral surgical approach with debridement, bone graft fusion, and internal fixation for the treatment of upper thoracic tuberculosis.There is currently debate over the best surgical approach for the treatment of upper thoracic tuberculosis. Traditionally, the subscapularis transthoracic approach has been preferred; however, the posterolateral approach has gained popularity in the past few years.A prospective, consecutive cohort of 43 upper thoracic tuberculosis patients with a mean age of 39 years (range: 20–52 years) was followed up for a minimum of 12 months (range: 12–60 months). Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A (n = 21) was treated by the subscapularis transthoracic approach and group B (n = 22) was treated by the posterolateral approach. All cases were evaluated for clinical, radiological, and functional outcomes. Intraoperative blood loss, operative duration, intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, the cure rate, fusion time, and the Frankel scale were used for clinical and functional evaluation, whereas the kyphosis angle was used for radiological evaluation.Grafted bones were fused by 10 months in all cases. There was no statistically significant difference between groups before surgery in terms of gender, age, segmental tuberculosis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Frankel scale, or Cobb''s angle (P > 0.05). The average operative duration for Group B was lower than that of Group A. There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, grafted bone fusion time, or cure rate between groups (P > 0.05). The Cobb''s angle correction rate for group B (68.5%) was significantly better than that of group A (30.9%). The neurological score showed significant postoperative improvement in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups.The subscapularis transthoracic approach and the posterolateral approach with debridement, bone graft fusion, and internal fixation are both sufficient and satisfactory for the surgical treatment of upper thoracic tuberculosis. However, the posterolateral approach is superior to the subscapularis transthoracic approach in terms of surgical trauma, operative time, and kyphosis correction.     

维纳托克在肝癌细胞中的抗肿瘤活性及其机制

目的探讨维纳托克(Venetoclax)在HepG2、Hep3B 2个肝癌细胞株的抗癌活性。方法对人肝癌细胞株HepG2、Hep3B细胞株进行体外培养,采用不同浓度的Venetoclax(0、3、10、30μmol/L)处理肝癌细胞,以细胞计数试剂盒(CCK-8)检测细胞活性,0,3,10和30μmol/L Venetoclax作用细胞48 h,锥虫蓝拒染法检测细胞的死亡,0,5μmol/L Venetoclax,作用24 h,流式细胞学检测细胞凋亡率,蛋白质印迹法(Western blot)检测Venetoclax诱导半胱氨酰天冬氨酸特异性蛋白酶(Caspase)-3活化,聚腺苷二磷酸核糖聚合酶(PARP)裂解。组间比较采用t检验。结果Venetoclax对HepG2、Hep3B细胞株均有较强活性抑制作用。不同浓度的Venetoclax处理肝癌细胞48、72 h,Venetoclax在HepG2细胞株中取得的半数细胞活性抑制率(IC50)值分别为46.5μmol/L和14.2μmol/L;在Hep3B细胞的IC50值分别为24.6μmol/L和11.2μmol/L。处理24 h,30.0μmol/L的Venetoclax在HepG2和Hep3B细胞株中诱导57%[对照组、实验组凋亡率分别为(4.00±1.00)%、(56.67±8.51)%,t=-10.650,P<0.01]和54%[对照组、实验组凋亡率分别为(5.67±1.53)%、(54.33±9.87)%,t=-8.440,P<0.01]的肝癌细胞发生凋亡,并能诱导肝癌细胞的Caspase-3活化,PARP裂解,差异均有统计学意义。用0、3、10和30μmol/L的Venetoclax处理48 h,在HepG2细胞株中可诱导3%(3.26±1.71)%,12%[(12.36±1.99)%,(t=-12.36,P<0.05)],32%[(32.38±4.57)%,(t=-10.350,P<0.01)]和67%[(66.71±6.29)%,(t=-16.86,P<0.01)]的细胞死亡,差异均有统计学意义;在Hep3B细胞株诱导2%(1.91±0.68)%,16%[(15.72±3.40)%,(t=-6.890,P<0.05)],42%[(42.39±6.86)%,(t=-10.180,P<0.01)]和73%[(73.32±2.69)%,t=-44.490,P<0.01]的细胞死亡,差异均有统计学意义。应用半胱氨酸蛋白酶(Caspase)抑制剂预处理,Venetoclax对HepG2和Hep3B细胞的死亡率分别从56%(56.71±6.29)%降低至11%(10.70±1.43)%,(t=12.350,P<0.01)和68%(68.05±10.16)%至12%(12.7±6.12)%,(t=8.080,P<0.01),差异有统计学意义。结论Venetoclax能够通过诱导Caspase的活化,诱导肝癌细胞发生凋亡,并对肝癌细胞进行杀伤。